Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The only one who hasn't lost his head is laid-back Dionysus (the cool guy farther left).
He just raises another glass of wine to his lips. Over on the right, Aphrodite, goddess of
love, leans back into her mother's lap, too busy admiring her own bare shoulder to even
notice the hubbub. A chess-set horse's head screams, “These people are nuts—let me out
of here!”
The scene had a message. Just as wise Athena rose above the lesser gods, who were
scared, drunk, or vain, so would her city, Athens, rise above her lesser rivals.
This is amazing workmanship. Compare Dionysus, with his natural, relaxed, reclining
pose, to all those stiff Egyptian statues standing eternally at attention.
Appreciate the folds of the clothes on the female figures (on the right half), especially
Aphrodite's clinging, rumpled robe. Some sculptors would first build a nude model of
their figure, put real clothes on it, and study how the cloth hung down before actually
sculpting in marble. Others found inspiration at the taverna on wet T-shirt night.
Even without their heads, these statues, with their detailed anatomy and expressive
poses, speak volumes.
Wander behind. The statues originally sat 40 feet above the ground. The backs of the
statues, which were never intended to be seen, are almost as detailed as the fronts.
• The metopes are the panels on the walls to either side. Start with the three South Metope
panels on the right wall.
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